Zelenskyy warns Russian airspace is becoming unsafe for commercial airlines

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a statement warning airlines, insurers and anyone still using Russia's key airports that Russian airspace is becoming increasingly unsafe. He said Ukraine has no intention of directly targeting civilian flights, but the growing number of Ukrainian attack drones entering Russian territory must be factored in by the aviation industry.

Ukraine's military capability to strike deep inside Russia has escalated rapidly in recent months. Precise figures on drone flights are hard to confirm, but Ukraine can already launch several hundred drones a day, with military sources saying the country is aiming for a target of 1,000 daily, partly to damage Russia's economy. This year Ukraine has begun bombing oil refineries and warehouses near Moscow and St Petersburg, along with military and industrial sites more than 200km from its border.

By contrast, Ukraine's own commercial airspace has been closed since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, as Russian strikes have made airports across the country unsafe for civilians. Concerns over civil aviation safety in the region date back to July 2014, when a Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine by Russian-backed separatists, killing all 298 people on board.

Putin described Zelenskyy's remarks as "state terrorism," adding that negotiations are not held with terrorists. Speaking at a news conference after a two-day summit in Kyrgyzstan, the Russian leader said Russian forces had been ordered to prepare mass strikes on Ukraine's energy facilities aimed at knocking out heating and electricity this winter.

Asked whether Russia might strike British military facilities producing weapons for Ukraine, Putin declined to give a direct answer, calling it a military secret. Russia had earlier accused Britain of "escalation" following reports that British-made drones were used in Ukraine's long-range strikes.

Putin also claimed Russian forces had captured the town of Sviatohirsk in Donetsk region, a claim not backed by maps from Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState and disputed even by some pro-war Russian commentators.

Russia's slow battlefield progress has fuelled speculation about a possible new mobilisation, which Putin dismissed as "nonsense." He said he remained comfortable dealing with Donald Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, though talks were currently "frozen to a certain extent." CIA director John Ratcliffe made a rare visit to Moscow last week.